RYA Day Skipper is a sort of ‘foundation course’ in seamanship and navigation. It has two elements, theory and practical. Suitable for those with limited experience it is effectively an ‘entry level’ course, though while you don’t need any theoretical knowledge you do need to know how to sail. The RYA stipulates that Day Skipper candidates should have 100 miles logged. In our experience it doesn’t matter what sort of boat you have sailed, so long as you can sail. Dinghy sailing years ago is just as relevant as last years flotilla holiday in the Med!

If you are not confident about your sailing ability you may want to consider taking an RYA Competent crew course first. Five days training alongside Day Skipper students or Yachtmaster exam candidates is sure to give you a feel for cruising under sail and hopefully a thirst for more. Alternatively you could take a berth on one of our mile builders, again five days but with an emphasis on going places rather than intensive pilotage and boat handling. The Channel Islands and France are favourite destinations for mile building out of the Solent.

When you have gained the Day Skipper theory and practical tickets you can consider yourself well on the way to being a safe and competent yachtsman. The RYA Day Skipper practical certificate entitles the holder to an International Certificate of Competence (ICC). These certificates and a VHF Radio licence are all you need to charter boats in the finest sailing areas the world has to offer.

More important than the certificates in themselves is the knowledge you will acquire on the way. The Day Skipper theory course covers chartwork, chart symbols, Lat & Long, compass, tidal theory, pilotage, safety, meteorology and so on. The theory element can be taken as a five day ’stand alone’ course or combined with the practical (on the water) training in one 9 day course. This offers the opportunity to achieve both Day Skipper theory and Day Skipper practical tickets with only five days off work, an important consideration for those with busy lifestyles.

Mustang Sailing have been delivering these courses for long enough to know how to get the theory across in a painless, stress free way. Not everybody is comfortable in class, and for some it has been a while…

On a 9 day combined course we split the theory into two, two day blocks at either end of the course. The first and last two days are spent in class. The first two laying the foundations so to speak, then it’s down to the boat (we’ll take you if you don’t have transport) for five days of sail training.

Sailing from Universal Marina on the Hamble River we criss cross the Solent and venture to Chichester to the East and Poole to the West, depending on the weather. Day Skipper practical involves many short passages, involving lots of passage planning and pilotage as well as boat handling under power and sail. When Friday comes it’s time to leave the yacht and head back to Ringmer to finish off the theory.

Collision regulations and meteorology are the two big subjects for the last weekend; you will have been living and breathing sail cruising all week so the final sessions are pretty easy. Two exam papers are despatched on Sunday morning, a quick debrief and off home with two new certificates, miles in your logbook and memories to last a lifetime.

Mustang Sailing are a small sailing school with a big range of courses which we run all year round. We moved to Ringmer nr Lewes three years ago and have expanded steadily. We take no print advertising, relying on our website and word of mouth recommendation to grow our business. This year we have doubled our classroom capacity, and added a dedicated diesel engine workshop at Ringmer, and bought a 40′ yacht to cope with the demands of our expanding customer base.

Our training centre is housed in converted agricultural buildings close to the South Downs. The central location close to major road and rail links and conveniently located for the London airports makes us the obvious choice for sailors in the South East and London and for international students looking for quality courses at a convenient location. The quiet rural setting makes it easy to get down to studying the subject in hand.

Mustang run all the RYA Cruising and Yachtmaster shorebased courses at Ringmer and all the practical sail cruising courses from Universal Marina on the Hamble. Probably the nicest marina in the Solent, a pleasant rural location with an old-school feel it is a great place to be, relaxed and civilised.

What Makes a Car a Hybrid?

Essentially, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that runs on two different fuel sources. A great example would be a sailboat that runs on rowing as well as electric power. Hybrid cars on the other hand run on both fuel and electricity. It then allows the car to run longer on lesser fuel. That makes the hybrid car an environmentally and wallet friendly vehicle.

Hybrid Cars and the Environment

Other than consuming lesser fuel, hybrid cars also generates lesser amounts of harmful car emissions compared to other vehicles. Here are a few ways that Hybrid cars save on fuel.

SUFFICIENT BATTERIES – The secondary power source of Hybrid cars are the batteries. Hybrid car batteries are capable of saving and reusing energy. It works similarly to electric cars, sans the plug, making it more convenient.

GASOLINE/ DIESEL CHOKE – regular cars use up a lot of gasoline when the engines continue running even when the car is at a standstill. Hybrid cars supplement that. They are designed to shut off the gasoline or diesel engine when it is not moving. During this time, the car relies on the power provided by the battery. A decrease in fuel use also means a decrease in car emissions.

Top Hybrid Cars in the Market Today

Hybrid cars are all the rage today because not only are they fuel efficient, they do the environment good too. The top three hybrid cars available today are as follows.

TOYOTA PRIUS – The Prius has been in the market for nearly a decade. Such longevity can only attest to the quality of the vehicle. It is the best car if you want to save money. This little beauty can run for miles and miles and still have a gallon or two to spare. The great thing about the Prius is that its manufacturers have made it functional as well. Unlike other hybrid models, the Prius comes with a spacious cargo hatch. It is also one of the most affordable hybrids in the market today.

SATURN VUE GREEN LINE – It may not be considered as a full hybrid, but the Saturn Vue Green Line can certainly hold off on fuel use. And, if you are looking for an SUV and save money on fuel at the same time, then this is the hybrid car for you. The only problem with this SUV hybrid is that it’s doesn’t have a 4-wheel drive option.

HONDA CIVIC HYBRID – The Honda Civic is one most recognizable car in the world. That is why it’s such a treat that the company has come up with a hybrid version. The Civic Hybrid can run up to 54% longer on a full tank of gas compared to a regular car. Not bad. As an added bonus, the Civic Hybrid is also a great car to drive.

RYA Day Skipper is a sort of ‘foundation course’ in seamanship and navigation. It has two elements, theory and practical. Suitable for those with limited experience it is effectively an ‘entry level’ course, though while you don’t need any theoretical knowledge you do need to know how to sail. The RYA stipulates that Day Skipper candidates should have 100 miles logged. In our experience it doesn’t matter what sort of boat you have sailed, so long as you can sail. Dinghy sailing years ago is just as relevant as last years flotilla holiday in the Med! http://www.mustangsailing.com/

If you are not confident about your sailing ability you may want to consider taking an RYA Competent crew course first. Five days training alongside Day Skipper students or Yachtmaster exam candidates is sure to give you a feel for cruising under sail and hopefully a thirst for more. Alternatively you could take a berth on one of our mile builders, again five days but with an emphasis on going places rather than intensive pilotage and boat handling. The Channel Islands and France are favourite destinations for mile building out of the Solent.

When you have gained the Day Skipper theory and practical tickets you can consider yourself well on the way to being a safe and competent yachtsman. The RYA Day Skipper practical certificate entitles the holder to an International Certificate of Competence (ICC). These certificates and a VHF Radio licence are all you need to charter boats in the finest sailing areas the world has to offer.

More important than the certificates in themselves is the knowledge you will acquire on the way. The Day Skipper theory course covers chartwork, chart symbols, Lat & Long, compass, tidal theory, pilotage, safety, meteorology and so on. The theory element can be taken as a five day ’stand alone’ course or combined with the practical (on the water) training in one 9 day course. This offers the opportunity to achieve both Day Skipper theory and Day Skipper practical tickets with only five days off work, an important consideration for those with busy lifestyles.

Mustang Sailing have been delivering these courses for long enough to know how to get the theory across in a painless, stress free way. Not everybody is comfortable in class, and for some it has been a while…

On a 9 day combined course we split the theory into two, two day blocks at either end of the course. The first and last two days are spent in class. The first two laying the foundations so to speak, then it’s down to the boat (we’ll take you if you don’t have transport) for five days of sail training.

Sailing from Universal Marina on the Hamble River we criss cross the Solent and venture to Chichester to the East and Poole to the West, depending on the weather. Day Skipper practical involves many short passages, involving lots of passage planning and pilotage as well as boat handling under power and sail. When Friday comes it’s time to leave the yacht and head back to Ringmer to finish off the theory.

Collision regulations and meteorology are the two big subjects for the last weekend; you will have been living and breathing sail cruising all week so the final sessions are pretty easy. Two exam papers are despatched on Sunday morning, a quick debrief and off home with two new certificates, miles in your logbook and memories to last a lifetime.

Mustang Sailing are a small sailing school with a big range of courses which we run all year round. We moved to Ringmer nr Lewes three years ago and have expanded steadily. We take no print advertising, relying on our website and word of mouth recommendation to grow our business. This year we have doubled our classroom capacity, and added a dedicated diesel engine workshop at Ringmer, and bought a 40′ yacht to cope with the demands of our expanding customer base.

Our training centre is housed in converted agricultural buildings close to the South Downs. The central location close to major road and rail links and conveniently located for the London airports makes us the obvious choice for sailors in the South East and London and for international students looking for quality courses at a convenient location. The quiet rural setting makes it easy to get down to studying the subject in hand.

Mustang run all the RYA Cruising and Yachtmaster shorebased courses at Ringmer and all the practical sail cruising courses from Universal Marina on the Hamble. Probably the nicest marina in the Solent, a pleasant rural location with an old-school feel it is a great place to be, relaxed and civilised.